Reportedly, UK SMEs were targeted by hackers over 200.000 times each, in 2016.

Cyber-crime is a real threat, which often goes unrecognized by small business owners. Hackers know it is so, hence often pick SMEs expecting them to be an easier target. You might think your business is too small to be at risk. However, if you have sufficient quality data e.g. clients’ contact info, payment details, etc. you’re not too small.

You might be aware of recent major ransom-ware attacks affecting companies across the globe. British advertising agency WPP was reported to be among the affected UK companies. 61 NHS organisations were significantly disrupted by global ransom-ware attacks carried out in May 2017. Firms in Ukraine were one of the first to report ransom-ware issues, and BBC UK continues to report on cyber-attacks experienced by Ukraine. It is said that those attacks were not about money – instead they were Russia’s attempts to destabilise the country. Whatever their motivation, however, global and local cyber-attacks create chaos in affected organisations – both large and small. What’s really frustrating is that most of them can be prevented.

The most recent mega-virus, justifiably called ‘WannaCry’, infects only machines running Windows operating systems. If your organisation uses Windows, and you do not update it regularly or you’re not careful when opening and reading emails, you could be at risk.We strongly recommend that you migrate away from unsupported operating systems and software as well. On that note, Outlook 2007 will reach its end of life on the 10th of October 2017. The product will no longer be supported by Microsoft. Failing to upgrade before it expires will make you more vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Click here to read more about Outlook’s 2007 End of Life, or get in touch for more information.

Ransom-ware attacks disrupt IT systems by freezing users’ computers and demanding untraceable ransoms to be paid for files’ restoration.

In order to protect your organisation (outside of having sufficient IT Support):

Run regular updates, migrate in due time;

Use firewalls and antivirus software;

Be careful when opening and reading emails.

Moreover, regularly back-up your data, so you can easily restore your files should you be affected. Bear in mind that succumbing to hackers’ demands doesn’t guarantee files’ restoration.

This topic deserves our attention. Cyber-security may be a virtual issue, but when ignored it is extremely likely to threaten affected SMEs physical existence.

If you believe your current security measures aren’t sufficient to protect your organisation please get in touch. We have been helping our clients to prevent and deal with cyber security issues for over 21 years!

Do what you can to stay safe in cyber-space, or get in touch if you need IT Support.

There’s no denying that trading conditions remain tough, and keeping a tight rein on your spending is often necessary to remain in operation. Consequently, like many managers do, you might be keeping a constant eye on your charity’s finances.

When you’re trying to reduce your expenditure, it might seem counter-intuitive to seek outside help with your computing systems. However, by choosing the right IT Support for Charities, you might in fact be able to lower your overall costs.

After all, if you don’t have a proper grip on this side of your organisation, you can end up wasting a lot of time, energy and money addressing unnecessary and often pricey problems. Over the long-term, this could harm your finances.

Here at Compucare Systems we know that non-profit organisations don’t have money to burn, hence we go out of our way to offer cost effective services. We’re experts in the field and so tasks that may take an in-house team a long time to complete could take us moments. Moreover, over 70% of our clients are charities!

Streamlining this side of your operations could therefore strengthen your financial outlook. We can provide you with free round-the-clock proactive network monitoring, free online data backup, immediate help-desk response, unlimited or pay as you go support packages, your own dedicated technical account manager and much more.

Click on this link IT Support for Charities if you’re eager to find out more about what we offer, or simply get in touch with our friendly and professional team.

It’s incredible how quickly technology is progressing. It’s not that long since companies relied on typewriters and basic telephone landlines, yet these days, there is a plethora of devices strewn around offices. From tablets, scanners and smartphones to video conferencing facilities and much more, the technology is impressive and diverse.

To be successful in the world of enterprise, it’s important that your firm moves with the times and ride the digital wave. If you don’t, you might find your competitors gain an advantage over you. However, knowing which direction to take and precisely which systems and devices use can be difficult. You’ve no doubt got lots of other things to think about, so strategising about your IT systems might not be something you relish. Thankfully, help is at hand. It’s now possible to make the most of IT support in Kent and elsewhere to provide you with clear direction.

Shifting sands

Highlighting the dizzying pace of technological change, research conducted recently by Virgin Media Business suggested that the once ubiquitous telephone landline may disappear from everyday use among companies within five years.

In a poll of 500 chief information officers (CIOs), the firm found that 65 per cent of respondents believed telephones will become redundant within this period. Meanwhile, 62 per cent of those questioned predicted that PCs will fall out of use within the next half-decade.

On the other hand, 13 per cent of the CIOs stated that smartphones are the least likely devices to be abandoned.

A transformative effect

Responding to the findings, Virgin Media Business’s Tony Grace said: “The pace of change with technology is having a transformative effect on the way we work. A decade ago it would have been unthinkable to suggest an office without telephones. Now it’s hard to imagine being separated from our smartphones.

“Mobile connections to the internet are getting better by the day. Commuters in London can now access WiFi under the streets of the city at stations across the Underground network. Almost everywhere we go we’re able to check-in at the office, social networking sites, or simply contact friends and family everywhere we go. Because of this, businesses have recognised the importance of the mini computers that smartphones have essentially become.”

He added that companies are relying more on smartphones and less on landlines, while the “sophistication of mobile technology is also having an impact on the PC”. According to the expert, stationary PCs are now “significantly less useful” that their laptop counterparts.

How we can help

Here at Compucare Systems we’re experts in the field of computing and if you’re looking for IT support in Surrey, IT support in Sussex or elsewhere, we should be able to help. We can create annual IT roadmaps for your organisation, monitor your IT lifecycle and budgets, create plans for new projects and so on.

With our help, you might find it easier to remain up-to-date in terms of your computing systems and the technology you use. For further information, just take a look around the rest of our website.

It’s hard enough managing an enterprise when things are on an even keel, so when serious problems arise, it can be impossible. The point about disasters is, you can’t always be sure when they will occur and if your firm is not prepared for the worst, it may not be able to survive.

As well as making sure you have the appropriate systems to minimise risk in the first place and insurance to cover your costs in the event that problems arise, it’s important to make sure that you have backups when it comes to your IT systems. These days, firms rely heavily on technology and if you don’t have the right IT disaster recovery and prevention solutions in operation, you’re placing yourself at unnecessary risk.

No shortage of dangers

There are many potential dangers out there for you to protect your company from. For example, your premises may come under threat due to burglary, vandalism or fire.

Another risk comes from flooding and over the course of this summer, many businesses around the UK were affected by excessive rainfall. In some areas, rivers burst their banks and shops, offices and other commercial premises sustained damage. Indeed, Met Office figures cited by the BBC suggested that the country saw its wettest summer since 1912. It was also revealed that the Environment Agency issued more than 1,000 river flood alerts and warnings between June 1st and July 15th.

Meanwhile, there are also cyber-based risks to consider. The number of internet-related attacks on firms continues to rise and these security breaches can be highly damaging.

A proactive approach

Rather than reacting to problems as and when they arise, it is much better to adopt a proactive approach. For example, it may pay off to invest in IT support in Kent.

Here at Compucare Systems we provide IT disaster recovery and prevention services that may suit your organisation perfectly. If you come to us for assistance, we will create a disaster recovery plan that means your full system will be restored within a matter of hours in the event of a problem.

This means any downtime you suffer will be limited, helping to protect you from lost trade and customer dissatisfaction.

Cutting costs

Of course, IT support in Sussex and elsewhere does require a little expenditure. However, in the long term, it could save you cash. After all, having the right disaster recovery solutions in place can bring down your liability insurance premiums and it can increase your server efficiency.

Also, it’s important to take into account the expenses you will avoid in the event that a disaster occurs. Rather than potentially being out of operation for long periods of time, you should be back up and running quickly, meaning you can continue generating revenue.

More info

If you’d like to find out more about the services we provide, including our IT support in London, just take a look around our website.

As well as the practical benefits our disaster recovery offers, it can also provide you with greater peace of mind.

There’s no denying the fact the internet is now hugely important in the world of retail and business more generally. So, if your firm doesn’t yet have an effective web presence, you might be missing out on a whole range of opportunities.

However, the prospect of creating your own website, potentially complete with online shop, might raise your blood pressure. Without the right knowledge and experience, it can be impossible to achieve the desired outcomes. After all, a lot of the work involved is highly technical.

The good news is, by being savvy and taking advantage of IT support in Essex, you can get around this problem.

Here at Compucare Systems we’re experts when it comes to these tasks and are on hand to help you out. We can provide you with full website design right from the concept stage to live layouts. We can also make sure your site is compatible with smartphones and can assist you with search engine optimisation.

Meanwhile, to help ensure your cyber presence is maintained without difficulty, we provide fully secured managed hosted services as well as round-the-clock technical support.

Over the years, we’ve built literally hundreds of websites for a whole range of organisations and so you can rest assured we’re more than capable of delivering top-quality results.

Also, we appreciate the importance of tailoring solutions to individual organisations. To help ensure we’re on the same page as you, we’ll invite you to have an initial conversation followed by a meeting detailing your goals and objectives.

Whatever the nature of your business, and whatever your size, you will almost certainly rely extensively on IT to succeed. Without the right IT infrastructure in place to keep track of sales data, customer details and other vital information, and to communicate with staff, customers and others, it is very likely that your business could be running at far less than its 100% potential. That’s especially true as you expand and your existing infrastructure becomes unable to cope.

By using an outside organisation, you will be able to save money against the cost of having a full-time in-house IT consultant. You will receive the same kind and level of service, while spending money only at the times when you actually need the IT support. You will benefit from a huge wealth of knowledge and expertise. And, of course, by outsourcing, you will be free to focus on what you do best – running your business.

Equally, you could consider just using an outsourced company when your in-house staff are unavailable, or to make use of the skills of your existing IT team.

While many, if not most, queries can be dealt with remotely, it still makes sense to use a company which is locally based. So, for example, if you need IT support in Essex, it’s a good idea to have a provider which covers that county.

At Compucare Systems, we offer a wide range of IT support in Kent, Surrey, Sussex, London and Essex, from online data backup to network security and cloud computing. View a full list of our products online.

Here at Compucare we take IT professionalism seriously because we know that you depend on a great quality of service to keep your business running smoothly all year round. Downtime comes with serious consequences so investing in real IT specialists who don’t try to fudge issues, put you on hold or delay the return of equipment is imperative. We have been paying particular attention to the quality of service for around 21 years and our continued growth and success has demonstrated that we are one of the most trusted faces of IT support in Essex.

We have a long list of services, but what you won’t find listed at other IT specialists is the level of personal interaction that makes our service what it is and has seen us expand throughout the home counties to provide IT support in Kent, London, Sussex, Hampshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Oxfordshire and more. We even guarantee that the method in our service is of the highest quality and you will always receive it at the most competitive prices in the area. Starting a business relationship with us could not be easier since we provide a free on-site IT consultation and appraisal with a full report on the state of your current IT network.

This dedication to your cause has spread the word about our services which has resulted in us offering our services as far north as the West Midlands. It is why we have received glowing testimonials that wax lyrical about what we offer and the way we go about it.

One of the main reasons why so many companies now outsource their IT support is because of the increased flexibility that an external IT contractor can offer.

Any company that has an in-house IT support team is generally limited by the number of employees within that team. However, outside contractors can typically offer far more in terms of resources and therefore can provide services to suit practically any eventuality. So, no matter if a company needs to scale down its IT operations to accommodate a maintenance shutdown or increase its IT activity to deal with a major system problem, an outside contractor can allocate the necessary resources to deal with it immediately. An in-house team simply cannot match this kind of flexibility and indeed having full-time staff during particularly uneventful periods can often work out to be economically detrimental.

In addition to providing incredible flexibility, outsourced IT support also delivers high levels of industry specific knowledge and expertise. This wealth of knowledge can be invaluable is it can provide proven solutions that have been successfully used at other companies and organisations in the past.

Outsourced IT support really can provide a wide range of flexible benefits that can help to make any business organisation more successful and prosperous. So, if you are a company based in south-east England who is looking for outsourced IT support around London or IT support in Kent, Surrey, Essex or Sussex, look no further than us here at Compucare.